1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a body for the formation of an arrangement of flow-through cells.
The invention relates further to a carrier and the arrangement of flow-through cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
An arrangement of flow-through cells of the above-mentioned type is described in international patent application PCT/EP 00/12668 cited hereinbelow.
FIGS. 24-28 show embodiments which are described in international patent application PCT/EP 00/12668.
FIG. 24 is identical to FIG. 1 of patent application PCT/EP 00/12668 and shows a partial view of a first arrangement of flow-through cells in cross-section. This figure shows an inlet 1 and an outlet 2 of an individual flow-through cell, as well as parts of the adjacent flow-through cells.
The flow-through cell arrangement shown in FIG. 24 comprises a base plate 4 and a fitted body 6. The body 6 features a recess 3, which after connection of the body 6 to the base plate 4 forms a space for creating a flow-through cell with the inlet 1 and the outlet 2. The recess 3 may have any basic surface area; for example, it may be rectangular. Corners are preferably rounded. The outlet 2 and the inlet 1 of the adjacent flow-through cells in the cross-sectional direction are likewise shown. The inlet and outlet of a flow-through cell are preferably each arranged at opposite end-points of the base areas of the recess, for example, at the end-points of the diagonal in the case of an essentially rectangular base area.
FIG. 25 is identical to FIG. 2 of patent application PCT/EP 00/12668 and shows in cross-section a partial view of another embodiment of the flow-through cell arrangement according to FIG. 24. In the embodiment according to FIG. 25, a reservoir 5 is formed as a well in the outer wall of the body 6 connected with the base plate 4. This embodiment enables liquid from the flow-through cell to enter the reservoir 5, but not to flow back into the flow-through cell as long as the reservoir 5 is not filled to the upper edge of the rim on the liquid outlet side.
FIG. 26 is identical to FIG. 3 of patent application PCT/EP 00/12668 and shows in cross-section a partial view of a further embodiment of the flow-through cell arrangement according to FIG. 24. In the embodiment according to FIG. 26, the reservoir 5 is closed off at the top. The result of this embodiment is that also no liquid can escape from the reservoir 5 by evaporation.
In all the above-mentioned embodiments, the body 6 may consist of one part or also of several parts which are preferably joined irreversibly into a unit.
FIG. 27 is identical to FIG. 4 of patent application PCT/EP 00/12668 and shows a cross-sectional partial view essentially confined to the base plate for an embodiment featuring an optical film waveguide as the base plate. In the embodiment according to FIG. 27, the base plate is provided as an optical film waveguide with biological, biochemical or synthetic recognition elements immobilized thereon. According to FIG. 27, this film waveguide comprises layers a, b and b′. The reference symbol g is used in FIG. 27 to indicate the limitations of a flow-through cell which is created by connecting the base plate with the body 6. Reference symbol g thus corresponds to the reference symbol 6 in FIGS. 24 to 26.
On the layer b which is transparent at least in part of the visible or near-infrared spectrum, the thin intermediate layer b′ is first applied and then the layer a, whose refractive index is greater than the refractive indices of layers b and b′. Also, layers a and b′ are optically transparent at least in part of the visible or near-infrared spectrum. In the layer b, grating structures c and c′ are formed as relief gratings, which on application of the layers above these gratings are transferred to these layers. On the layer a, an adhesion-promoting layer f is applied which can improve the adhesion of biological, biochemical or synthetic recognition elements to be immobilized. In this embodiment, these recognition elements are immobilized in spatially separated measurement areas d, which in this embodiment are arranged both on and between the grating structures c and c′. In this embodiment according to FIG. 27, the base plate is finally connected with the body g, which corresponds to the body 6 in FIGS. 24 to 26.
FIG. 28 is identical to FIG. 5 of patent application PCT/EP 00/12668 and shows an arrangement of flow-through cells in which column-shaped arrangements of base plates 4 and the connected bodies 6 together form application blocks 7, which are set in corresponding receiving openings of a common carrier 8 (meta-carrier). In this way, an arrangement of a total of 6 columns each of 6 flow-through cells is created. In the embodiment according to FIG. 28 the carrier has the basic dimensions of a standard microtiter plate. Inlet openings 9 to the inlets 1 (not visible in this figure) are positioned in such a way that they are compatible with the pitch of a standard 96-well microtiter plate, i.e., they are positioned at intervals in each case of an integral multiple of 9 mm (for example: interval of inlets within a column: 9 mm; interval of inlets between adjacent columns: 18 mm). With a corresponding translation of the carrier with the application blocks, the reservoirs 5 are compatible with the pitch of a standard 96-well microtiter plate. In the embodiment, according to FIG. 28, the carrier 8 is designed in such a way that it can take up to 6 blocks. However, spaces for application blocks may also remain unoccupied.